Stretcher.



Patented Nov. Il, |902.

M. W. M. CRAWFORD.

STB ETCH EB.

(Application led June 18,'1902.)

(No Model.)

atto/bump @vih/wma me muws wens coJPHoToUTHo, wAsmNwN. n4 cA UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARY lV. M. CRAWFORD, OF. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,405, dated. November 11, 1902.

Application led June 18,1902. Serial No. 112,207. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, 7115 may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY W. M. CRAW: FORD,a citizen ofthe United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in stretchers; and its object is to provide a light, strong, and durable stretcher which may be stored away in a small space when not in use and which may be carried on a mans back when used with troops in the iield.

The stretcher is especially intended for use either on shipboard or with an army in the field, and it includes various novel features which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Referenceis had tothe accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure l represents the stretcher in the extended position and ready for use. Fig. 2 shows the stretcher folded in the middle and ready to be put on the back of the carrier. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the telescopic hinge connecting the two parts of the frame. Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 and looking to the right, and Fig. 5 shows a wire sling which may be used with the stretcher.

The stretcher-frame consists of two members A and B, preferably of stii steel tubing, which members are connected together by telescopic hinges C. These hinges, as shown in Figs. 3 and A, consist of the parallel plates c, connected together by the rivets co and c4, the link c, pivoted on the rivet o0 and also pivoted on the rivet c5, passing through the tenon c2, which is shouldered, as at c3. This shoulder portion c3 tits in the tube A when the stretcher is extended, and with the tenon c2 it forms a rigid joint between the tubes A and B. The rivet cri in the tube A prevents the hinge from being entirely pulled out of the tube A when the stretcher is folded.

Pieces of canvas D E are secured to the frames A and B and to each other by suitable lacing K. Stout holding-straps G and G span the frame A and are intended to go one under the shoulders and the other about the waist of the man to be carried on the stretcher.

So that the patient may be carried with his head up and feet down and also for convenience in lowering through hatches, I provide a sling M, having two short and two long legs and provided with an eye m and snap-hooks fm. The length of the legs of the sling may be adjusted to give any desired inclination to the body of the patient. These hook in eyes a above the frame, while below the frame correspondingly-arranged legs a', with holes in the same, serve as runners in case it is desired to drag the stretcher along the deck, and they also serve as means to suspend beneath the stretcher another stretcher or to hold detachable legs should it be desired to mount the stretcher on four legs.

It will be evident lthat a series of these stretchers may be hung one beneath the other and either suspended from overhead or built up in tiers with supporting-legs, like bunks, arranged one above another.

So that the stretcher may be used with troops in the field, I provide on the under side straps L, adapted to go over the shoulders of the bearer and be carriedon his back like a knapsack.

rlhe whole stretcher when complete Weighs only a few pounds, not as much as the ordinary knapsack, and can very readily be carried on the back, as stated.

It will be obvious that various modiiications of the herein-described device might be made which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a folding stretcher, the combination with the two members, of telescopic hinges connecting the two members together, with stout holding-straps across the top of one of said members, and slings having legs of unequal length supporting said members, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a folding stretcher, the combination with the two members, of telescopic hinges connecting the two members together, shoulder-straps on the under side of one of said ICO members, stout holding-straps across the top of one of said members, and slings having legs of unequal length supporting said members, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A folding stretcher, comprising the frames A and B provided with eyes q, telescopic hinges connecting the two frames together, sheets ofcanvas or like material laced in said frames, stout holding-straps secu red to said stretcher, and slings having legs of unequal length supporting said members, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. A folding stretcher comprising the trames A and B provided with eyes a and lugs q, telescopic hinges connecting the two frames together, sheets of canvas or like material laced in said frames, and stout holdingstraps secured to said stretcher, substantiallyT as and for the purposes described.

5. In a folding stretcher, the combination with the two members, of hinges connecting the two members together, means for holding said members rigidly extended when desired, stout holding-straps across one of said members, and slings havinglegs of unequal length supporting said members, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a folding stretcher, the combination with two frames of hollow tubing, of telescopic hinges connecting the two members together, each hinge being made fast in the dtubing of one frame, and being adapted to slide into and be hidden by the tubing of the opposite frame, substantially as described.

7. A folding stretcher, comprising the frames A and B composed of hollow tubing, telescopic hinges connecting the two frames together, one member of each hinge being made fast in the tubing of one frame, and the other member being connected to and adapted to slide in the tubing of the opposite member, sheets of canvas or like material laced in said frames, stout holding-straps secured to said stretcher, and shoulder-straps on the opposite side of the stretcher from the holding-straps, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARI' W. lll. CRAWFORD. [L s] Witnesses:

JOHN F. BRIRY, C. A. CRAWFORD. 

